The opening of the story won points with me for the suspenseful set up. It was very atmospheric and definitely set a great tone. Also, the set up is quite the game of chess as pawns manipulate and demostrate varying degrees of power in some seriously ruthless endeavors. Through flashbacks the story is related to explain how we got to the opening scene and it's clear that the mains of this story are being manipulated & their character flaws & vices capitalized upon by someone and they don't realize it. They were all awful so there's little sympathy even when they are treated harshly by another in the group.

Unfortunately, that suspense wasn't kept at a high pitch for most of the book. It's not a criticism but this story had a lot of information to relate as dirty dealings went and while steady it didn't lend itself to the "OMGWTH??!!" factor. When you open with shooting and blood running out of an elevator, I am going to be stuck on that until we loop back to the moment before that. I did find it somewhat of a compulsive read because for as many times as I had to put it down, I wanted to get back to it. The back quarter of the book really saved it for me as the murderer is revealed and then all the pawns fall and the most powerful chess piece remains standing, The Queen. She rolled up everyone, slipped away and all I could hear was the music at the end of the Jason Bourne movies.

Extremely well written story of corporate intrigue, employee rivalry and revenge. The characters are well developed and the story grabs you from the first page through the satisfying last page. Highly recommended.

Thank You Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this very goooood read.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin.

Synopsis:
Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are ruthlessly ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance where deception and intimidation thrive. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to reach the top.

When they are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, dark secrets of their team begin to be laid bare.

The biggest mystery to solve in this lethal game: What happened to Sara Hall? Once a young shining star—now "gone but not forgotten”.

This is no longer a game.
They’re fighting for their lives.

The synopsis had me wanting to read this so bad and was very excited when I was given a kindle copy to enjoy. I give it 5 stars, 10 if I could. This book grabs you from the first page and on the second page you are hooked. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. Some parts are far fetched to be so perfect but I kept an open mind. Vincent, Jules, Syvie and Sam are some of the characters and they are so different but have greed, money, power and success with nothing stopping them from achieving more. No matter who gets in the way. The four of them are bought together in a team building exercise by email from their company. Bringing these four together in a small space with someone on the outside pulling the strings. Soon they start spilling secrets and the elevator gets smaller and smaller. I don't want to give any spoilers away so Welcome to the wonderful world of investment banking where I'm better than you are....
C'

This book is crazy! For me, it started off a little slow but it picked up all at once and I found myself unable to put it down. It’s a tale of deception, lies, and greed with a side of revenge. I real a lot of psychological thrillers and this is the best I’ve read in a while.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Escape room is fantastic! I was sucked in the first chapter. The twist and turns were exciting, and I hoped for the ending that was given. The ending seemed a little rushed, but was still satisfying.

First of all, great job on the title because that was a great hook, line, and sinker to grab my attention! I love escape rooms and this book by Megan Goldin was no different. Obviously, it is all in your head vs. out in the real world but that makes it 10x better! Nothing beats your imagination!

You get to know alot of the main characters - Vincent the boss man along with his employees Sam, Jules, and Sylvie. It is typical work drama that you see at a big financial corp but with a HUGE plot twist. You will wonder throughout the book why they are all trapped in the elevator together and the plot unravels in true mystery/ thriller form. Finished the book in just a few days because it was such a good, easy read! I had to force myself to put down the book to sleep!

First intro to a Megan Goldin novel and I would highly recommend The Escape Room!

Interesting characters in an unusual setting. The outcome was a bit predictable. Not sure I would classify it as a thriller.

This book took a tuuuurn there at the end!

So, basically I read this book and was like okay, lots of people are dead, one girl is suspected to be on the spectrum and this author really likes to talk about sex, drugs and investment banking.

Did I love this book? No. Three stars for general creativity, quick storyline and entertainment value. I do believe that there in the last hundred pages it went off the rails, but the recovery was too fast and not enough was explained thoroughly. I also think that the characters lacked a lot of depth - you had this former model who was also a burn victim who also witnessed her twin brother die in a car accident but she was only really referred to as this icy bitch of a coworker that was also incredibly attractive - you see what I mean, here? People lived up to their stereotypes so the book was basically over once you figured out which part everyone was playing.

Good beach read. Hell, if I was had up for a book club book I'd probably throw this one out there. This is not, however, the next great american novel.

The Escape Room by Megan Golden – 4 Stars
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250219657

I’m reviewing this to be honest with my opinion. I should only say I was glad I made it 90% to the point where it proved to have a great ending and explained the meaning for all the momentous number of words that I had previously read. Until then, I had a difficult time getting excited to delve back into the book. The plot was interesting in that instead of a story about escaping an inescapable elevator, it switches back and forth in time to detail each character’s personality, strengths, and weaknesses. One doesn’t have to read far to understand that the four in the elevator are a team of self-made elites who have no interest in anybody outside their club, or should I say “the Circle.” Unfortunately, understanding each character to that depth is not that important. My unconscious noticed this first and I started skimming page after page. However, at about 90%, or a little after, when the real storyline was revealed, the action was enthralling. If I could rate this book only on the ending, instead of the anticipated actionable, thrilling, nail-biter, page-turner as I expected, it surely would be a 5-Star. But, until then, I was generally bored and hugging just the 3-Star bar. I’m reminded that people have short memories and thus I should quickly write my review while the ending controlled my emotions. So, with that, I’ll settle on a 4-Star and hope the author in future books can consider continuous thrills and excitement throughout.

Reviewer: Rich, with Nancy’s input as well

This book is everything you want in a thriller, great writing, interesting characters (although most of them are far from likable), and a well thought out and intricate plot that keeps you guessing. Start reading it when you have a few uninterrupted hours in front of you because you will not want to put it down. The story is an emotional roller coaster in the best possible way and the ending is so satisfying!

OMG.....YES!

This captivating, engrossing book had me transfixed from page one. Waste not one minute wondering if this one is worth the read; jump in and do it. It SO is!

The book covers two storylines, the first is that of Sara Hall, a bright, MBA, up-and-comer, who is fortunate enough, as a result of a chance meeting in an elevator, to get a shot at the dazzling job of her dreams. Speaking of elevators, the second storyline involves four vile individuals who are forced to participate in an escape room type game, in an elevator, for reasons initially unclear to them and us.

As the tension amped up, I could not wait to find out what was going on, how the stories intersected and how it would ultimately be resolved. It didn't disappoint. Whoooo.....what a ride.

Thank you so much to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Four ruthless Wall Street finance executives participate in a compulsory team-building exercise. It's supposed to be an Escape Room experience in an elevator of a partially built high-rise but it turns into something much more sinister. A deliciously crafted thriller that kept me on my toes right to the last page.

If I could buy the rights to The Escape Room by Megan Goldin and turn it into a movie, I would do it right now. This will be published in August 2019 so keep your eyes open for it.

What can I say about a book that kept me up until 1 a.m. because I HAD TO KNOW THE ENDING. This book was amazing on so many levels, let me try to explain. The book brilliantly tells the story in alternating chapters from young Sara Hall’s point of view and the POV of those stuck in the elevator a.k.a The Escape Room. When Sara starts working at the financial company Stanhope, she is eager to succeed in the cutthroat world of Wall Street finance.

She willingly gives up family time, evenings, weekends, to work hard and prove herself. Her co-workers are equally dedicated but deviously willing to do anything at all to make names for themselves. Sara befriends Lucy, a quiet but highly intelligent co-worker who has Asbergers. Lucy insists they keep their friendship on the down low but Sara doesn’t understand why. When Lucy commits suicide, Sara starts to believe there is more to the story than suicide, Lucy would have never taken her own life.

Sara suspects her co-workers know something…or maybe even were involved.

While this Sara’s story unfolds, her co-workers are locked in an elevator with absolutely no way out. The temperature is rising, tempers flare, frustrations mount as they begin to turn on each other. If this is a team building exercise, it’s going terribly wrong.

I was on the edge of my seat during this whole book. When I got close to the end, I had to keep reading to find out who and what and how…this is seriously a book you cannot put down. Im bummed that it’s not coming out until August, you have to pre-order, add to your Goodreads list or stay tuned here so I can remind you when it comes out.

Here is the official plot:

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are ruthlessly ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance where deception and intimidation thrive. Getting rich is all that matters, and they’ll do anything to reach the top.

When they are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, dark secrets of their team begin to be laid bare.

The biggest mystery to solve in this lethal game: What happened to Sara Hall? Once a young shining star—now “gone but not forgotten”. This is no longer a game. They’re fighting for their lives.



HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Excellent psychological thriller. Great characters, an engaging plot and a few good twists and turns. Highly recommended.

There are a few things that didn’t work for me completely. Characters that do not evoke emotional connection. Tries too hard to be a thriller but pace doesn’t match intent. Solid premise but just ended being an “ok” read for me.

Thank you net galley for letting me read this the first chapter had me hooked couldn't put this book down I highly recommend this book Thank you to the author on this good book. I plan to read more books by this author this was my first one

This was a suspenseful book with a lot of character exposition from the underbellies of the financial investment world. Cutthroat is a double entendre with the ruthless characters trapped in an "escape room". The ending has some resolution that you'd miss if you blinked which is a little startling given the rising action. Overall a satisfying read and one that will keep you interested until the end.

I loved this book. Thank you, Net Galley, for allowing me to read it.
Sara Hall is looking for a job in the finance sector. She is on her last leg when she meets Vincent in a n Elevator after a disappointing interview. She gets a job at his company and is grateful. She finds herself in the mist of vipers who will do anything to succeed.
Jules, Sylvia, Sam and Vincent. They are lured to an escape room activity in an elevator. What is going on?
This is a fast-paced book that kept me reading all night. Very well written and with detail. The story alternating with What happened to Sara and what is happening now in the elevator.

This book will be a best seller and book of the year.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this book the main characters are stuck in an elevator which is functioning as an escape room. At first they think this is a team building exercise for their company but it quickly becomes clear that it is about more than that. I did enjoy reading this book and discovering secrets about the characters. One perspective came from an individual who used to work with all of the main characters and I found those parts the most interesting. The middle of the book was kind of slow and the ending was pretty predictable. For those reasons I would rate this book as being just an average thriller.

A hard-working young business school graduate gets an offer she'd never consider refusing for the job of her drreams. Plunged into the glamorous, demanding, and lavishly compensated world of finance, she's just beginning to feel like a member of the small, select team she's been assigned to - her peformance is praised as above par, the perks of the position haven't begun to pall, and except for the fact that she has no time to enjoy the perks, she sees nothing but success ahead of her. She makes a friend of the one team member everyone else ignores - Lucy may be "on the spectrum," as everyone agrees, but she's a math genius, brilliant at making money for the company, so her eccentricities are ignored. At least, until she commits suicide. Or.
Is that what really happened? And does
The truth eventually outs, and the perpetrators are punished in what at first looks like a team building exercise - a close-knit team and its charismatic leader, Vic, locked in an elevator with an hour to cooperate enough to solve the problem. But three days later, they're still there, and the outlines of a dramatically rendered revenge plot are filed in with bold, expertly rendered strokes.